


Jelly Slugs and Chocolate Cauldrons

by severed_lies



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-10-25
Updated: 2012-10-25
Packaged: 2017-11-17 00:22:19
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,473
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/545458
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/severed_lies/pseuds/severed_lies
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Albus Severus and Scorpius discover the depth of their friendship.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Jelly Slugs and Chocolate Cauldrons

Scorpius Malfoy flicked his wand to apply the impervious charm as the wet, fat snowflakes began to stick to his hair and traveling cloak. His walk through the maze at Malfoy Manor should have helped, he thought it would. The calm he expected to find at the center of the maze had eluded him this time.

The holly and boxwood stood as sentinels against the outside world as the snow began to obscure their brilliant hues. Scorpius sat down on the marble bench that stood in the center of the maze. He tried to come up with a way to approach the subject of his love, wondering if he should work his way up to the declaration, or just simply blurt it out and hope for the best.

Everything had been just fine until he had to go and fall in love with his best friend. He had come to terms with his growing affection and attraction to Sev. He was eager to confess his feelings, but terrified that they would mean the end their friendship.

From the first day at Hogwarts, after both boys had been sorted into Slytherin House, Sev and Scorpius had become fast friends. Their parents expected that, as they grew older, the friendship would dissolve, but it continued to strengthen throughout their seven years in school.

Sev was so eager to be the top of his class that he rarely took time out for socializing during term. They saw each other during the day, but rarely had any time to spend alone. Scorpius could not remember that last time Sev had joined him on a Hogsmead weekend. He had been working up the courage to say something all term, but had never found the right time or place. Seventh year was notoriously frantic with preparation for their NEWT exams, but he had these few weeks of respite and the opportunity to reveal his secret was nigh.

It was the start of the winter hols and Sev would be at the manor later that day. Scorpius was determined to tell Sev that he was in love with him. Despite his fear of rejection, he just had to find out if Sev might share his feelings. He shooed away the thoughts that it would end in disaster, concentrating on the surprise he had for Sev instead.

Scorpius was pulled out of his thoughts by the sound of gravel being scuffed along the inner path to the center of the maze. He smiled broadly as he saw Sev come around the final corner and walk up to the bench.

"You found me," said Scorpius as he slid over and patted the bench in invitation.

Sev sat down next to his best friend, then jumped up in shock.

"Merlin's balls, Scorpius, ever hear of a warming charm?" Sev chided as he cast the charm with a flourish, then re-settled on the now warmed marble.

Scorpius, happy to see Sev, despite his nerves, grinned and pulled out a rather squashed packet of jelly slugs. He tore open the packet, grabbed a garishly orange treat, then passed the rest to Sev.

"Guess I didn't notice the cold," replied Scorpius.

Sev took one look at the slugs, then spelled them all to turn green before putting the packet on the bench between them. With a grimace, Sev asked, "How can you eat those?"

"They're my dad's favorites, something to do about Mr. Weasley and real slugs when they were in school," replied Scorpius.

"They're revolting," said Sev. Sev, of course, preferred chocolate cauldrons, but that was his little secret and he guarded it closely.

"Did you get your dad to let you stay tonight?" Scorpius asked hopefully. He was starting to feel a hormonal overload, and hoped that he and Sev would be sharing, if not the bed, the same room that night. He had cautiously planned his bid at seducing Sev, if Sev was actually willing to be seduced. His friend was hard to read, and too dear to push away. Scorpius was ready to explode from the tension.

Sev nodded, saying, "He wasn't too pleased about it, but everyone is at the Burrow tonight, so they won't miss me anyway. "

"I'd rather you were here as well," Scorpius replied in relief.

Sev really wasn't happy to be a party to that Weasley chaos, and he would rather spend time with Scorpius then with his boisterous family. He peered at a movement in the hedge, but the snow was quickly obscuring the ground. Watching the hedge, he let out a contented sigh. He was just happy to be here, happy with this peaceful interlude with Scorpius. This was the perfect opportunity, Sev thought, yet he was hesitant and scared to speak, afraid of ruining things.

As the two sat in silence, Scorpius too, was fumbling for the right words to start this conversation, cursing himself for being so inept at seduction, and still worrying that if he fouled this up, this friendship would be lost. After a minute or two of staring at the snow piling up over their feet, he decided to broach the difficult subject. He cleared his throat a few times and said "We, that is, I, um . . . "

Sev took that moment to reach out and place his hand on Scorpius' arm as he spoke, "I needed to talk to you, without anyone else around. I know that I have been holed up in the library all term. Aunt Hermione owled me a brutal study schedule in September, and I just got all caught up in revising."

"I know, I really need to see that schedule. Six months and..."

Sev interrupted, "Scorpius, let me finish, please?" and under his breath, 'before I lose my nerve'.

"Sure, go on," said Scorpius, who felt his pulse pounding at the point of contact with Sev and wildly wondering what Sev was about to say.

"I wasn't just revising this term. I was thinking about what we are going to do after graduation. I know your father is determined to set you up with an apprenticeship in Arithmancy, and dad keeps on about me making up my mind already."

Scorpius nodded, keeping silent and feeling as if he were going to faint from the suspense.

Sev noted that the bold move to touch Scorpius had either gone unnoticed or was welcomed. In either case, it gave him the courage to continue.

"So, if you remember, we talked about sharing a flat in London." Sev took a deep breath and continued, "Are you still of a mind to do so?"

Scorpius grinned when he answered, "I am, I just wondered if you were still keen on the idea."

Sev said earnestly, "Well, I am keen to share more than a flat, if you so desire."

Scorpius leaned over and put his head on Sevs' shoulder before replying, "I've been desiring that for a long time, but I was afraid that you would tell me off and we wouldn't be friends anymore. I figured I rather have you as a friend than not at all."

Sev kissed the top of Scorpius' head and said with a smile, "You have my friendship, you can have everything else. Just keep those nasty jelly slugs well away from me!"

Scorpius twined his hand with Sevs' then said, "Come on then, I have some chocolate cauldrons for you in my room."

Sev scrunched up his nose, as if the thought of chocolate cauldrons were beneath him, and said, "Why would I want any of those?"

Scorpius replied with a laugh, "I know you hide them, you keep them in that puzzle box under your bed. Besides, I have a little experiment in mind."

Sev was already thinking of a new hiding place for his sweets, but the word experiment caught his full attention. "What type of experiment?" he asked, all pretense of indifference set aside.

"Well, there is a theory of mine, that chocolate tastes better at body temperature, and knowing your love of chocolate cauldrons, I thought you might want to help me with it?" said Scorpius with a hopeful look.

Sev, after all of his worrying about how Scorpius would react to his declaration, felt a wave of relief and a deep sense of longing, now that the question of reciprocation was answered. He nodded and said, "Yes, that sounds like fun. And we will have to test all kinds of chocolate, and honey, and ..."

Scorpius grabbed Sev in mid-sentence and apparated them both to his bedroom in the manor. The unfinished packet of jelly slugs fluttered to the ground in a gust of wind, soon to be covered in a thick blanket of snow.

The echo of "...sugar quills." was heard by only the garden gnomes who were burrowed in the center hedge in front of the bench.


End file.
